Multi-cell trays



Nov. 7, 1967 K. R. PERSSON 3,351,261

MULTI-CELL TRAYS v Filed May 16, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. Kan! Rune Pcnsson Nov. 7, 1967 K. R. PERSSON 3,351,261

MULTIHCELL TRAYS Filed May 16, 1966 Z SheetS Sheet 2 I N VE NTOR.

K031 Rune Fkn sson Qmm mmidwl: Moiww United States Patent 3,351,261 MULTI-CELL TRAYS Karl Rune Persson, Halmstad, Sweden, assignor to Sprinter-Pack AB, Halmstad, Sweden Filed May 16, 1966, Ser. No. 550,390 Claims priority, application Sweden, May 17, 1965, 6,431/65 4 Claims. (Cl. 229-28) This invention relates to multi-cell trays erected from a single blank of foldable sheet material such as carton and having two longitudinal side panels interconnected by spaced transverse cell defining webs and a bottom. All webs except the outermost ones have double thickness by being doubly folded upon themselves along fold lines forming the ridges of the webs. At the ends the webs are folded along diagonal fold lines defining hinged connections with the side panels. The bottom is formed by two bottom panels secured to each other in overlapping relationship and hingedly connected with the lower edges of the side panels.

The general object of the invention is to provide a multi-cell tray of the kind referred to above in which the cells are divided by a longitudinal partition wall and the bottom panels are reliably locked to each other by means of tab and slot connections, that is without glueing.

Another object of the invention is to provide a tray of the kind referred to in which the ends of the tray are devised to increase the rigidity of the tray.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is shown in the annexed drawings.

FIG. 1 illustrates a blank for making a multi-cell tray according to the invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic perspective view, with parts broken away, of part of the erected tray.

FIG. 3 is a section on line 33 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a detail view of the underside of the bottom and illustrates one of the locking tabs of one bottom panel in engagement with the edges of an aperture in the other bottom panel.

FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic perspective sectional view on line 55 in FIG. 4.

The two bottom panels 1 and 2 of the tray form margins of the blank which is further divided into side panels 3 and an intermediate portion which interconnects the side panels and by means of transverse slots is divided into strips to be doubly folded upon themselves so as to form transverse webs 4.

The webs 4 are folded, in a manner known per se, during erection of the box, and the overlapping bottom panels 1, 2 are locked to each other by means of apertures 5 in bottom panel 2 and lock flaps 6 at the edge of the other bottom panel 1.

In locked position according to FIG. 2 the bottom panel 2 overlies the bottom panel 1. Approximately midway of the tray the panel 2 is folded upward so as to form longitudinal partition flap 7.

The lower edges of the webs have vertical slots 8, 9 which engage corresponding vertical slots 10 at the upper edge of the partition flap 7. In this way there is formed in a simple manner a partition which is fixed in its erected position and divides the transverse cells between the webs into two parts and, consequently, doubles the number of cells.

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Each of the lock flaps 6 is hingedly connected to the free longitudinal edge 11 of the bottom flap 1 along two longitudinal fold lines 12, 13. From the inner ends of the fold lines 12, 13 extends an arcuate slit 14 forming a locking tab 15. At the free edge 16 of each locking flap 6 there is formed a second locking tab 17. The locking tabs 15 and 17 are oppositely directed and the distance between the free edge 16 of the locking flap 6 and the fold lines 12, 13 is substantially equal to the distance between the opposite longitudinal edges 18, 19 of the respective aperture 5 in the bottom flap 2.

When erecting the tray the locking flaps 6 are folded somewhat relative to the bottom flap 1 so that the tabs 15 project freely and may be readily hooked onto the edge 18 of the respective aperture 5. Thereafter, the tabs 17 are snapped over the edges 19 so as to lock the locking flaps 6 in a position. FIGS. 4 and 5, where the free edges 16 of the flaps 6 cross the edges 19 and abut positively thereagainst. At the opposite side, the tabs 15 rest positively against the edges 18. The width of the tabs 15 is further substantially equal to the width of the aperture at the edge 18. Accordingly, the bottom panels 1, 2 are posi tively locked to each other against relative displacement in any direction.

The ends of the blank are extended with end panels 20 which at their ends have corner flaps 21. In the erected tray the flaps 21 will extend along the inner side of the side panels 3 and will support with their upper oblique edges 22 the ridges 23 formed by the diagonal fold lines forming hinged connections between the ends of the webs and the side panels.

The rigidity of the ends of the tray is further improved by means of flaps 24, 25 at the ends of the bottom panels 1, 2. These flaps are at right angles to the bottom panels in the erected tray, as shown in FIG. 3, and extend to the underside of the top of the tray to support the same.

What I claim is:

1. A multi-cell tray erected from a single blank of foldable sheet material, comprising two longitudinal side panels, a bottom and a number of transverse webs spaced to form walls of the cells of the tray and connected at their ends with the side panels, said panels being of double thickness by being substantially doubly folded upon themselves along a fold line forming the ridge of the respective web, said bottom being formed by two bottom panels hingedly connected to the lower edges of the side panels and secured to each other in overlapping relationship, the overlying bottom panel having a width substantially equal to half the distance between the side panels and being extended with a flap erected to a position at right angles to the bottom and forming a longitudinal partition wall to divide the cells, said partition flaps being maintained in position by engagement with vertical slots in the lower edges of said webs.

2. A multi-cell tray as defined in claim 1, in which the bottom panel having the partition flap has at least one aperture with opposite longitudinal edges, and the other bottom panel has at its inner edge a locking flap foldable along two longitudinal registering fold lines interconnected by a slit defining a locking tab projecting into said aperture to engage the adjacent edge thereof, and the free opposite edge of the locking flap being formed with 3 a second locking tab snapped over the adjacent edge of the aperture to positively lock the locking flap to the opposite edges of said aperture.

3. A multi-cell tray as defined in claim 1, in which the ends of the bottom panels are extended With end flaps substantially at right angles to the bottom panels, and the outermost webs are integral with flaps forming the end panels of the tray, said end panels having at their ends corner flaps extending along the inner side of the side panels.

4. A rnulti-cell tray as defined in claim 1, in which the partition flap has vertical slots in its upper edge to engage with the vertical slots in the webs.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 6/ 1940 Schrell 229-28 10/1954 Kirby 229-28 9/1955 Vines 22928 1/ 1962 Davis.

9/ 1963 Sheldon-Williams 22928 6/1966 Wood 229-15 FOREIGN PATENTS 1/ 1952 Canada. 1/ 1960 Switzerland.

JOSEPH R. LECLAIR, Primary Examiner.

15 D. T. MOORHEAD, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A MULTI-CELL TRAY ERECTED FROM A SINGLE BLANK OF FOLDABLE SHEET MATERIAL, COMPRISING TWO LONGITUDINAL SIDE PANELS, A BOTTOM AND A NUMBER OF TRANSVERSE WEBS SPACED TO FORM WALLS OF THE CELLS OF THE TRAY AND CONNECTED AT THEIR ENDS WITH THE SIDE PANELS, SAID PANELS BEING OF DOUBLE THICKNESS BY BEING SUBSTANTIALLY DOUBLY FOLDED UPON THEMSELVES ALONG A FOLD LINE FORMING THE RIDGE OF THE RESPECTIVE WEB, SAID BOTTOM BEING FORMED BY TWO BOTTOM PANELS HINGEDLY CONNECTED TO THE LOWER EDGES OF THE SIDE PANELS AND SECURED TO EACH OTHER IN OVERLAPPING RELATIONSHIP, THE OVERLYING BOTTOM PANEL HAVING A WIDTH SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL 